Havdalah Service

by Rabbi Robert J. Marx

Responsive Reading: (Adapted from Psalm 141)

Lord I call unto you; answer my call, O God
Let my prayer be as a sweet offering unto you; the deeds of my
hands as a willing offering.
O Lord, guard my mouth that it not speak evil; my lips that they
bless and not hurt.
Turn my heart away from evil; the exploiting of friends and
those who work.
Keep me far from those who would exploit the weak; take advantage of the powerless.
From their table may I not eat; from their abuses may I not
prosper.
Keep me far from those who gain from their iniquity, spare me
from the snare which they would spread before me.
For you are my refuge and my hope, my joy and my salvation.

(The leader lights the candle)

habbat begins with the lighting of candles and it ends with the lighting of candles. How different they
are. Two separate candles inaugurate Shabbat. One intertwined candle marks its close. These candles speak of
those who work. Justice for the worker calls us to listen to the message of the candles.
The Shabbat candles tell us that it is time to rest, that it is time to turn from our daily routine, and set a limit to
our labors. The Havdalah candle lights our way back to the tasks that lie before us. Both candles are to be blessed.
It is a mistake to take either work or rest for granted. Both are to be sanctified by light. Both are to be blessed.
O God, Creator of us all, bless us with the memory of Shabbat rest. May we remember how precious is the calming presence of Thy spirit. Despite our worries and problems, the peace of Shabbat has been a calming presence in
our troubled lives. And for those who labor, that calming presence offers the blessed promise that the eternal
Shabbat for which we pray will tolerate no exploitation of works, no seizing of pensions, no revoking of health
care benefits or time to rest. For who can really look back upon a Shabbat where these injustices were allowed to
remain unquestioned, allowed to stand unchallenged?
(The cup of wine is raised)
This wine is the symbol of joy and of life. But the grapes which produced this wine were not always the harbingers
of either joy or of life. How many of those who produced this wine received too little of wages and too much of
pesticides. Just as we look to grapes that are clean and called kosher, so we would demand, no we would expect
that the working conditions, the health conditions, the salary conditions, the life conditions of those who produced these grapes be clean and kosher.

Blessed is the Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
(The spice box is raised)
This moment brings its sweet scent into our fading day. The spices of Havdalah remind us of life itself and its
many promises. But can we inhale the sweet spices of Havdalah without remembering those whose nostrils are
clogged with scents of a more threatening origin, the choking odor of dangerous industrial waste, the fumes of
noxious fertilizers sprayed upon those who harvest our grapes or glean our fruit trees? O Holy One, let there be
sweetness for all Thy children. Keep far from them both the odors of life threatening pollutants and the odorous
practices of those who would rob them of the dignity of their labor.

National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, 1020 West Bryn Mawr, 4th floor, Chicago, IL 60660-4627
Phone: (773) 728-8400 Fax: (773) 728-8409 E-mail: info@nicwj.org Website: www.nicwj.org